Alternating-current relay



March 27, 1928. 1,663,551

E. L. HOLMES ALTERNATING CURRENT RELAY Filed Jan. 24, 1925 INVENTOR 22W Patented Mar. 27, 1928. 1,663,551 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L EDWARD L. HOLMES, OF NEW YORK, N; Y., ASSIGNOR TO HOLMES NAVIGATING APPA- RATUS 00., ING, OF -NEW YORK, N. Y., .A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ALTERNATING-CURRENT RELAY.

Application filed January 24, 1925. Serial No. 4,618.

The following is a description of an ala neutral position wherein it closes neither ternating current relay embodying my 1nof the secondary circuits which include convention in the form and manner at present tacts 16 and 16 respectively. The armature preferred by me; but it will be understood is attracted by one or other of the airs of that various modifications and changes may (30113 in response to a differential between 60 be made without departing from the spirit the resistances of the two circuits including of my invention and without exceeding the said pairs of coils, respectively; and b reascope of my claims. son of connecting the pairs of coils in the My inventionwill best be understood by manner described, upon the occurrence of reference to the accompanying drawings, in such a differential, a pull of maximum efii- 65 which Fig. 1 is a front elevationof my remoney is exerted upon the armature. lay; and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Like In all alternating current relays with reference characters indicate ,like parts wh1ch I am familiar, the armature'continuthroughout the drawings. ally vibrates at a frequency corresponding Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a with the frequency of alternations of the 70 base upon which are mounted two brackets current. I have found that regardless of 2 and 2* and two standards 3 and 3'. Suphow alternating current relays may be adported on bracket 2 are coils 4"and 4 and usted and irrespective of what type of aron bracket 2, coils 5 and 5". Coil 4 has mature springs may be employed, and of the 2 'core 6, coil 4 'has core 6, coil 5 has core 7, tension of such springs, -it is not possible, 75 and coil 5* has core 7*. Cores 6 and 6* are under the condition of variations in current supported by yokepiece 8, and cores 7 and flowing through the'coils, to maintain a con- 7 a are supported by yoke piece 8. Attached tlnuous contact between the armature contact to yoke piece 8 is threaded rod9, supported members and their coacting contact memin standard 3; and attached to yoke plece 8 bers. I overcome this objectionable feature 80 is threaded rod 9, supported in standard 3. by opposing gravitational force to the mag- Knurled nut 10and'spring 11 control the netic attraction of the coils so that when position of coils 4 and 4; and knurled nut the energization of one pair of coils exceeds 10 and spring 11" control the position of that of the other pair even by a very concoils 5 and 5'whereby the air-gaps between siderable extent, the vibratory action is conthe cores and the armature may be adjusted. fined to the armature 13 and is not commu- Pivotally supported in bracket 12 on said nicated through springs 14 and 14? to the base 1 is armature 13, carrying springs 14' armature contact member which is closing a and 14*. Spring 14 carries contact 15, 00- secondary circuit. As a result, I am able to 35 acting with secondary-circuit contact 16 on maintain the continuity of contact in such adjusting. screw 17, which may be held in secondary circuit. I accomplish this result position by knurled nut .18. Spring 14 carby attaching to one side of the upper end of ries contact member 15*, coacting with secarmature 13 thread 19, carrying weight 20- ondary-circuit contact member 16 on adjustthe opposite end of said thread being coning screw 17, which may be held in position nected'to spindle 21, mounted in an arm of 95 by knurled nut 18. v standard 3, the tension of such thread being have found that by placing coils 4 and adjustable by means of'manual rotation of 4 in series in one circuit connected to a knurled handle 22. A similar thread 19, source of alternating current, and coils 5 carrying weight'20 ,-has one end attached and 5 in series in anothersuch circuit in to a corresponding spindle 21" mounted in 100 shunt to said first-named coils, and by so bracket 3, and adjustable by manipulation connecting these airs of coils in said cirof handle 22*. The etfectof these suspended cuits that at any instant the polarity of coil Weights appears to be to sufficiently damp or 4 is the same as that of coil 5, and the polimit the amplitude of the vibrations of arlarity of coil 4 is the same as that of coil 5, mature 13 to restrict the same Within the 105 the magnetic field of each pair of coils is range of resilience of contact springs 14 and practically confined to such pair, its yoke 14, and thereby prevent interruption of the piece and to armature 13. I preferably continuity of contact in the secondary cirmaintain both pairs ofcoils continually encuit. While I have illustrated opposin ergized, the armature normally remaining in coils, it will, of course, be understood that my invention is applicable to a single coil or coils which actuate the armature in one direction, one of these suspended weights being utilized for resisting the movement of the armature.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an alternating current relay, a coil, an armature actuated by said coil, a contact member yieldingly -mounte-d on said armature, astationary contact member coacting with said first-named contact member and a weighted connection between said armature and an outside support for damping the vibrations of said armature and preventing the separation of the contacts when in engagement.

2. In an alternating current relay, opposing coils, anarmature actuated by said coils, contact members yieldingly mounted on said armature, coacting stationary contact members and a plurality of weights suspended between said armature and outside supports for damping the vibrations of said armature in order to prevent separation of the contacts when in engagement.

3. In an alternating-current relay, opposing coils for actuating an armature to control secondary circuits and means comprising weights acting upon the armature for limiting the amplitude of its vibrations in order to permit maintenance of a continuous electrical contact in one of said secondary circuits.

4. In an alternating current relay, opposing coils, an armature actuated by said coils, contact members yieldingly mounted on said armature, coacting stationary contact members and a plurality of weights suspended between said armature and outside supports for damping the vibrations of said armature in order to prevent separation of the contacts when in engagement and means for adjusting the postion of said weights.

5. In an alternating current relay, a plurality of stationary tacts associated with an armature, and a plurality of magnet coils constructed and arranged to be continuously energized and to move said armature in response to a differential in such energization and means for damping the vibrations of said armature.

6. In an alternating current relay, a plurality of stationary contacts, coacting concontacts, coacting contacts yieldingly mounted upon a pivotally supported rigid. armature, a plurality of magnet coils constructed and arranged to be continuously energized and to move said armature upon the occurrence of a differential in such energization and means for damping the vibrations of said armature.

7. In an alternating current relay, two magnet coils, electrically connected to be of like polarity when energized and to oppositely attract an armature controlling secondary circuits, and means for normally maintaining said armature in a neutral position and preventing opening of said secondary circuits in response to alternations of the current flowing through said coils.

8,. In an alternatingcurrent relay opposing magnet coils electrically connected to be of like polarity when-energized,.an arma ture responsive in movement to a difierential in the current flowing through said coils, electrical contacts carried by said armature, coacting stationary electrical contacts, secondary circuits including said armature contacts and stationary contacts, and means associated with said armature for damping its movements to prevent opening of said secondary circuits in response to alternations in current flowing through said coils.

9. In an alternating current relay a magnet coil, a second magnet coil electrically connected to be when energized of like polarity with and to magnetically oppose said first magnet coil, an armature constructed and arranged to close one or other of two secondary circuits in response to a differential in the current flowing through said magnet coils, and suspended weights acting upon said armature to normally maintain it in a neutral position and to damp its movements in order to prevent opening of either of said secondary circuits by the alternations of current flowing through said coils.

10. In an alternating current relay, an armature, contacts mounted thereon, coacting stationary contacts, opposing and continuously-energized coils constructed and arranged to move said armature in response to a differential in said cnergization and means for maintaining said armature in a neutral position with reference to said contacts until the occurrence of such differential in energization.

EDWARD L. HOLMES. 

